Q&A: Saudi terror attacks

Suicide bombers have carried out a series of attacks on foreign targets in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

The bombings came a few hours before a visit to the city by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, looks at the implications of the attacks.

Was this the work of al-Qaeda?

The attacks certainly bear the stamp of al-Qaeda. It's not confirmed that it is al-Qaeda and I don't think we'll see al-Qaeda claim responsibility immediately. But if you look at the symptoms, suicide truck bombings are a familiar al-Qaeda hallmark.

And the attacks were co-ordinated. They timed the explosions to go off in the same night, happening just in advance of Colin Powell's trip. So it does have al-Qaeda traits.

Have the attacks changed the focus of Colin Powell's visit?

I don't think Colin Powell is going to try and embarrass the Saudis on this trip.

But it will be intensely annoying for people in the State Department that this has happened. It is a further reminder that there are people in the Middle East with deep hatred for US policies.

The worrying thing is that the US has made what appears to be a very intelligent move to shift the vast majority of its forces out of Saudi Arabia to Qatar. But that is not sufficient for Al-Qaeda.

There are more than 30,000 Americans working in Saudi Arabia and these people are all targets. The fact that compounds were targeted is a real worry because all the attacks on westerners have been relatively isolated - bombs under cars, the odd shooting.

This is the first time of people coming into the compounds - safe havens - and detonating such a devastating attack.

What more can the Saudis do to improve security?

The US will pressure Saudi Arabia behind the scenes. This is really an FBI matter. They will have conversations with Saudi Arabia's Mukhabarat - the intelligence service - to say they're not doing enough.

There's going to be enormous US pressure on the Saudi authorities to be a lot more effective in combating terrorism. The Saudis have previously charged 90 people and are interrogating 250. Unofficially the numbers are much bigger. But they're not being very effective. Clearly they're not stopping terrorism in Saudi Arabia.

The ultimate risk is if the bombings are directed at the Saudi ruling family. If it gets worse there is the possibility that it could fall. I still believe that most Saudis don't want to see an end to the al-Saud family.

The whole country could just crumble and disintegrate into regions and provinces. But Saudis do want to be better ruled. Corruption and extravagance and waste of national resources is still astronomical there.

There is a lot of money but poverty in the slums of southern Riyadh is shocking.

There is anti-government graffiti and rubbish piling up in the streets. There are beggars and prostitutes. It's not the land of gold that it used to be.

How strained are US-Saudi relations?

There is an element of reality that has crept into the relationship in recent months. When 9/11 happened, the Saudis were in denial.

The fact that they buried their heads in the sand for so long over 9/11 put a big strain on US-Saudi relations.

Those in the State Department believe that it can be repaired. The reality is that Saudi Arabia helped the US fight Saddam's regime. It provided air bases in the north of the country.

They want to help them in the fight against terrorism. The problem for the US and Saudi Arabia is that within the Saudi Interior Ministry there is enormous support for Al-Qaeda's aims and enormous sympathy.

A lot of people at the ground level don't want to catch Al-Qaeda sympathisers. If anything, they sympathise with its aims. This is a real problem, and not just in Saudi Arabia but in other Middle Eastern countries too.

Was there any warning of this?

There was some intelligence. On 1 May the US State Department warned all Americans not to travel to Saudi Arabia unless absolutely necessary.

They said that intelligence groups are planning attacks and were in the final phase. Just one week later the Saudis had a big gun battle in Riyadh and discovered a cache of weapons and explosives.

They recovered 400 kilos of high explosives. They had a shoot out with 19 people. They had photographs of all these people and yet they didn't catch a single one.

It makes me think that there were people on the inside of the Interior Ministry who were giving a tip off to the terrorists.

What is the advice for American and other foreign workers currently in Saudi Arabia?

Keep a very low profile. Check under your car. Don't go to big gatherings. Alter your routes to work. If people are really worried they may have to leave and that's exactly what the terrorists want.

They want foreigners to leave and to eventually bring down the Saudi government and replace it with a government which adheres much more strictly to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam.